[Disclaimer] Everything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer
[A/N] I can't thank you enough for your amazing response on my little Rosella fic here. You are the best readers a girl could wish for. Without your incredible support, I wouldn't be here.
Let's play a game and find the movie quote I used in this chapter. I really do have a thing for tear jerkers. Sue me. Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy the update.
This chapter is dedicated to Secrets87 and Shellmar. Thank you for telling me you like the slow burn because it's actually something that is difficult for me to write.
**14**
Bella didn't know if it was Rosalie or herself who broke the connection of their lips. All she knew was that everything had changed now and the unknown was frightening. Bella had never been scared of the unknown before. She just needed to make sure that Rosalie wanted this as much as she wanted it.
"Bella, I…I mean we…I…," Rosalie stuttered, unable to bring out a complete sentence. Bella had kissed her. Her best friend had kissed her and she had liked it. She had more than liked it. Nobody's kisses had ever made Rosalie feel like this. It was like her skin was still vibrating with tiny currents of desire.
"I could say that I'm sorry. " Bella whispered, running her fingertip gently over the corner of Rosalie's mouth. "But that would be a lie."
Rosalie swallowed back a lump in her throat. "Don't say you are sorry. I liked you kissing me."
Bella sighed when she pulled Rosalie closer for a second kiss. She shivered when the tip of her friend's tongue caressed her lower lip teasingly slow. This was divine. It was like their mouths had always been meant to be locked together.
"Your lips are really as soft as I thought they would be." Rosalie mumbled, kissing down Bella's jaw. "I couldn't stop thinking about you."
"Same here," Bella admitted. "I really wanted to kiss you so badly."
Rose forced herself to pull back. It wasn't an easy thing to do. Bella's skin was warm and smelled so irresistible good.
"Does that mean we're gay now? We're not gay, right?"
"Maybe we're just us." Bella stated. "Look, I don't know what to do now. This is all new for me."
Rosalie rubbed her fingers over the engagement ring on her hand. It felt like a heavy burden to her. She was a cheater. Rosalie hated cheaters more than anything. She needed to stop things before they got out of control completely. Bella meant so much to her and now she would mean even more. This more, this unknown more, was frightening her. Rosalie hated being scared.
"Bella, I'm so sorry. We can't let this happen again. Please tell me this isn't going to ruin our friendship." Rosalie could feel her heart cracking inside her chest. "I love Carlisle."
Bella's voice trembled when she spoke up. "You don't mean that. You're just scared."
Of course, I'm scared, Rosalie screamed inside her head. She didn't say anything to Bella though. Instead she rushed to the bathroom and locked herself in. The anger that spread through her was making Rosalie's entire body quiver.
She heard the knocking against the closed door, the muffled calls of Bella, begging her to open the door again.
Rosalie raised her head, finding her mirror image looking back at her from above the sink. Her lips were red from the kisses and her cheeks were still tinted in a faint blush.
"You're a disgusting coward," Rosalie told herself, slamming her fist forward. The mirror crackled. Blood splattered. A high-pitched scream left Rosalie's mouth as sharp pain rippled through her hand.
Next thing, she heard was how the door to the bathroom was slammed open again.
"Oh my God, are you trying to kill yourself?" Bella called out. She made Rosalie sit down on the floor while she tried to breathe through her mouth and not her nose. It was embarrassing but Bella was a bit sensitive when it came to smelling blood.
"Give me your hand. Let me see how bad it is. Crap, Rose."
"Leave me alone. I don't want you to see me like this. " Rosalie cried. "I want to handle this on my own."
"You are so fucking stupid when you are upset. Shit, you're bleeding like a pig being slaughtered." Bella mumbled. She grabbed a towel and pressed it carefully against Rosalie's hand. "This is definitely going to need stiches. I'll call an ambulance."
Calling an ambulance didn't turn out to be necessary. On the way down the hall Bella bumped right into Carlisle. He was the last person on earth, Bella wanted to be near Rosalie now but he was also the only one who could help her.
"She cut her hand." Bella explained, while Rosalie sobbed silently as she let Carlisle examine her injured hand.
"I can see that." Carlisle whispered, flexing Rosalie's fingers. No, it didn't look like something was broken. "How did this happen?"
"Maybe we should take her to the hospital. Don't you think?" Bella suggested.
"I think I can handle this here. Could you bring me some ice from the vending machine and my bag? It's in my room." He pulled out his card and handed it to Bella.
When Bella walked off, Carlisle lowered his lips to Rosalie's knuckles and blew lightly over the injured skin. "I'm very sorry, Kitty. Are you in much pain?"
Rosalie shook her head no. "I'm sorry. Please, say you'll forgive me."
"Forgive you what? This was an accident. Wasn't it?"
"Yes." Rosalie whispered weakly. "Yes, it was."
Bella returned with the requested bag and a bucket full of ice. She felt the urge to wrap her arms around Rosalie and hold her close. There was no way she could do it though while Carlisle was here.
"Take care of her." She managed to press out before she stormed out of the room again.
"What's wrong with your friend?" Carlisle asked, putting on some blue latex gloves.
"Bella can't handle seeing blood." Rosalie told him, unable to look her fiancé in the eyes.
Carlisle's mouth twitched. "Having difficulties with blood might be a problem for a police officer."
He put some disinfection stuff on a piece of cotton and dabbed it into the wounds on Rosalie's hand.
"When I started being a doctor I had trouble with the blood thing too."
"Really?" Rosalie asked, hissing through her teeth when the disinfectant burned in her flesh. "How did you manage to overcome it?"
"Years and years of practice." He stated, wrapping a bandage around Rosalie's fingers. "Keep that on for a few days. I've sealed the wounds with some medical glue."
"Thank you." Rosalie whispered. "I'm usually not that clumsy."
"I know you're not. Look, Kitty, I'm starting to worry about you. You seem so tensed."
"I'm not tensed." She protested, swallowing back tears. "I'm fine."
"Kitty, I'm not stupid. You are so nervous that your hands are trembling almost all the time."
She nodded her head and sighed. "I'm sorry. I feel like our engagement isn't going well."
"You are right and that's probably my fault. I should have sensed you wouldn't be comfortable with a big wedding."
"But a big wedding is my dream." Rosalie told him, blinking through the tears in her eyes. "Can't we just pretend that everything is fine and go on as we planned to do?"
He nodded his head. "If that's what you want. Of course, we can." Carlisle leaned forward to plant a kiss on Rosalie's cheek. "I only want to see you happy, Kitty."
Because your happiness is what is going to bring back mine, he thought, trying to push the dark memories of his past life aside. This marriage with Rosalie was his second chance. He wasn't going to risk ruining that one too.
xxxx
"Is it bad with Rosalie's hand?" Jasper asked his mother, while he sipped on his beer. Drinking beer was something that Lucy disliked greatly. It was the only kind of rebellion her youngest son had the courage to bring up.
"It's just some deeper scratches. Thank God, Carlisle was there to take care of her. Isn't it great that we are going to have a doctor in our family?"
Jasper nodded his head. He took another sip from his beer, remembering longingly the taste of lips with the same tart taste upon them. If only Lucy wouldn't be so terribly old-fashioned and homophob.
"I'm really sorry Jasper's sister hurt her hand." Alice told Lucy. "She could wear some gloves to the wedding to cover the wounds up when they look too ugly."
"Your Alice has the best ideas, Jazz." Lucy stated. She had re-considered her opinion on the young woman after learning that Alice came from a very well-off family. What else could she wish for in Jasper's partner? Lucy had always wanted what was best for her children.
"That she has. Don't you, Darlin'?" Jasper purred, taking Alice's hand in his. Underneath the table, Alice tried to kick his shin. How much she hated the stupid Darlin' endearment coming from his grinning mouth…
"I'm so happy, my Jazz has found such a nice girl and from such a good Southern family as well. Aren't your parents sad that you decided to go to College so far away from home?"
Alice granted Lucy a wide smile. "My father is usually too busy with working to actually notice I'm not there anymore."
"But your mother must miss you." Lucy stated, pushing the bottle of beer away from her son. Drinking beer from a bottle was such a crude behavior. The fine people always drank wine and champagne from exquisite crystal glasses.
The smile on Alice's face froze to ice. "My mother passed away when I was little. I don't even remember her."
"Oh, that's so sad. Isn't it sad, Jazzy? That must have been so hard for your poor father to raise you on his own." Lucy sadly remembered how difficult things had been for her after Jasper's death. How she had to turn around every penny twice to be able to pay for Rosalie's dancing lessons or costumes. If Royce hadn't been so gracious with his help, she couldn't have done it at all. Maybe the man was a weirdo. But he was a weirdo who had believed in her daughter's talent.
"My Mammy raised me. " Alice explained, trying to free her hand from Jasper's grip. She hated his sweaty hand on hers. It was like he was trying to keep her from running away. Well, honestly, Alice felt a lot like running away. Running away after kicking Jasper where it would cause him most pain.
"So, honey child, you had a Mammy?" Lucy murmured dreamily.
"Yes, all my life." Alice told Jasper's mother. "I miss her so much."
"Mammy?" the blond man next to Alice chuckled. "Who still has Mammies these days? Tell me…did she live with you at home or at the slave quarters with the others?"
He cried out when Alice kicked his leg under the table. What a fucking asshole he was. She felt tempted to ask his mother if she was proud of raising a douchebag like that.
"Aren't you well, Jazzy darling? Well, you're in good hands with Alice. I need to take a look at your sister now. Enjoy your day, my little lovebirds."
With that Lucy walked off in tiny, tripling steps that she hoped would make her look like a lady.
"Keep your hands from me now." Alice snarled, wiping her fingers on her skirt. "You fucking racist."
He chuckled and reached for her hand again. "Come on. That was just a joke, Alice."
"Does it look like I'm laughing, asshole? Zafrina is the person I love most in the world. I don't like anyone speaking low of her."
Jasper grinned. Then he grabbed Alice's hand again, forcing her fist to open up. "I wonder what good old Mammy would say if she knew the truth about you? It might break her heart."
"I'll kill you if you don't keep your word." Alice told him, her nostrils flattering nervously up and down. "You promised to tell no one if I'd agree to this charade here."
He grabbed her by her shoulders, pretending to pull the dainty woman next to him into a passionate embrace. Instead of kissing her though, he whispered into her ear.
"Don't forget that you have more to lose than me, Darlin'. If I go to the Dean, you'll get expelled."
"Please, don't do that." Alice pleaded. "Am I not doing well as your alibi girlfriend?"
"You are pretty convincing."
"Of course, I'm convincing. I was the best in my high school theatre group. Your mother already likes me a great deal, because I'm such a nice girl."
Jasper laughed against Alice's temple. "Nice girl, huh? Nice girls don't let their married professors fuck them, Alice."